Removable pumping mechanism



Patented Dec. 31, 1940 PATENT OFFICE REMOVABLE PUNIPING MECHANISM Samuel Allen Guiberson, III, Dallas, Tex., assignor to The Guiberson Corporation, Dallas, Tex., a corporation of Delaware Application January 27, 1938, Serial No. 187,173

13 Claims. (01. l03234) The object of the present invention is to provide an intermittent automatically controlled pumping mechanism which may be readily removed from the flow. line pipe without the neces- 5 sity of moving the said pipe.

It has heretofore been proposed to place a valve mechanism in the flow line and in communication with the gas pressures existing betweenthe flow line and the casing. In producing oil from oil wells it 'is customary, when the gas pressure in the oil-bearing sands is insufiicient to expel the oil, to place a flow valve in the flow line and to inject gas into the oil in the flow line at various points.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide a chamber in the bore-hole. The head of the oil is permitted to build up in the chamber by the formation pressure until the head becomes sufliciently great to open a valve against the pressure of a supply of high-pressure gas introduced between the casing and the flow line. At this time, a return valve is closed so that the oil with in the chamber cannot be forced back into the formation and the oil in the chamber is aerated so that it moves to the surface.

So far as I know, in all such structures which have heretofore been proposed, it is necessary to pull the entire flow line in case it is desired to' It has heretofore been proposed to provide a' casing l0 and a flow line or tubing I I. The upper end of the casing is provided with the well-known.

pressure gauge, gas inlet, and valve, not shown. The-flow line or tubing ll terminates near the lower end of the casing and has secured thereto a'housing'l2, provided with a gas inlet port 13.

A barrel I4 is connected to the housing l2 by means of a joint I5, and at the lower end of the barrel is a joint l6 which receives a valve mem her I! provided with a valve in1et18 which inlet may be closed. by a ball valve [9. The barrel I4 forms an enlarged chamber 20; r

The housing I2 is provided with a central bore 2| which is of approximately the same size, but in no casenis it any larger than theinside dimensions of the flow line H. Within the bore 2| and above the inlet port [3 are packers 22 and that if a wire line having a. grab is lowered through the tubing, the lower ends of the arms 10 of the grab will be moved outwardly by means of the cone shape of the grab member 28 until the arms of the grab pass beneath the shoulder 29, at which time, the said arms will be moved inwardly beneath the shoulder 29 so that the pull 15 member 2! and all parts carried thereby can be moved upwardly through the flow line.

The pull member 21 is provided with a gas passageway 30 which communicates with the space 39 between the pull member 2'! and the housing 20 I2, and below the upper packer and above a lower packer 3 which packer 3 makes a seal between the housing l2 and pull member U. The member M is reduced in circumference adjacent the packer 3 so as to hold the said packer in position. 25 The gas passageway 30 co unicates with a passageway 32 in a pipe 33 which is secured to the pull member Zl. A valve housing 34 is secured to the lower end of the pipe 33 and intermittent valve mechanism 35 is secured in the valvehous ing 34. Theintermittent valve mechanism forms no part of this invention.

The housing I2 is provided with a passageway 36 which at its upper end communicates with the interior of the housing l2 above the upper 35 packer 22 so that the passageway 36 is in full communication with the interior of the tubing ll. At its lower end the passageway 36 com- -municates with the enlarged chamber 20. A

packer 31 is interposed; betweemthecasing ill 40 and the housing l2 at a point below the inlet port l3 so that no oil can pass upwardly beyond the packer 31 and the gas pressures which'may be introduced in the casingabove the packer 31 cannot pass below the said packer.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The oil from the formation flowsupwardly through the valve inlet l8 unseating*-theball valve l9, and continues to flow upwardly through the enlarged chamber 20; passageway 36, into the 50 tubing H thereby forming a head. As the head increases, the pressure communicated through the port 38 leading to the intermittent valve mechanism increases and unseats a valve therein. Gas under pressure has been introduced into 55 the casing it above the packer 31, and this gas under pressure passes through the inlet port [l3 into the space 39 and through the passageways 30 and 82 into the valve housing 8.4 and through the port 40 therein, so that when the said valve in the vaive housing is.unseated, which mechanism forms no part of this invention, the gas under pressure will pass outwardly into the chamber 20. This gas is under a greater pressure, than the pressure produced by the head oi oil. The oil within the chamber 20 is thereby aerated, and the ball valve i8 is pressed against its valve seat so that this gas pressure will not be communicated to the oil-bearing sands and the entire column 15 of oil in the chamber 20, passageway 36, and tubing II will be aerated and the oil will flow to the surface. -'There"wouldibe a tendency for the oil to lift the pull member 27 and the parts carried thereby', none of which are of a greater size than the inside of the tubing H. In order to overcome any such tendency, I have provided an enlargement 4| on the lower portion of the member 21, which enlargement is provided with an upper cam shoulder 42 and a lower cam shoulder 43. When the pull member 21 is initially placed in the housing II, the lower cam shoulder 43 engages the upper cam surface 44 of a movable plug 45 which is pressed inwardly by means of a spring 46 seated in a bore 41 in the housing I2, and which spring is "held at its other end by means of a screw-threaded adjustable plug 48 which is screw-threaded into'the said bore. The lower cam shoulder 43, being forced against the upper cam surface 44 of the said plug, moves the 3 plug outwardly against the said tension of the spring 48 so that the lower cam surface 43 may be moved against a shoulder 49 at the lower end of the housing ii, at which time the plug 45 .is moved inwardly by means of the spring 46 so as to engage the upper cam shoulder 42 and hold the member-J1 in the position shown in the drawing'. If however, the wire line and grab were lowered through the tubing, so that the arms or the'grab were beneath .the shoulder 28. and ii the wire line were then pulled upwardly, the upper camshoulder 42 would move theplug 45 outwardly. against the tension of its spring and the pull member 21 together with the packers 5o thereon, the enlargement 4|, the pipe 33 and thevalve housing 34 together with the valve mechanism in the Thousin'rcould be pulled upwardly through the tubing ll, all of the parts within the housing I! being of no greater dimen- 55 sions than the inner dimensions of the flow line II, and the pipe 88 and valve housing 84 being In this way. the entire valve mechanism may be removed without disturbing or having to'puli the 80 flowline. /w 7 r y N V I/realize that many changes may be made in the specific fo rmofrthe invention whichis shown -by way6fillustration and not by way of limitation in the accompanying drawing. and I thereso fore reserve the right to make all changes in'the specific form thereof, except as I may limit myself in the following claims.

smaller than the lower portion of the housing I tending into the said barrel, said pull member having no greater outer dimensions than the inner dimensions of said fiow line and housing and provided at its upper end with a grab member whereby said pull member may be pulled upwardly through said housing and iiowline, said pull member having means through which pres-- sure fluid flows to discharge the" contents of said barrel and means to'supply said pressure fluid to said last-named means.

2. Iii combination with the flow line, a housing secured to the flow line and having an internal bore of no greater diameter than the inside diameter of the flow line and in alignment therewith, a barrel secured to the housing and having a greater diameter than the internal diameter of the flow line and housing, a pull member including an intermittent valve member mounted in the housing and projecting into the barrel and provided at its upper end with a grab member whereby said pull member 'may be pulled upwardly through said housing and new line,

means including a passageway through the pull member whereby compressed gas may be conducted to said intermittent valve member, said intermittent valve serving as a means to admit gas'under pressure into said barrel, said housing having a by-pass leading from said barrel and communicating with said new line.

8. In combination with a flow line; a housing secured to the fiow line and having an internal bore of no greater diameter than the insidediameter of the flow line and provided with a port, a barrel attached to and extending below said housing, a. pull membermounted in the'housing and extending into said barrel, said pull member including an intermittent valve member inthat part of the pull member within the barrel,

said pull member bei g provided with a passageway longitudinally t ereof and communicating with said intermittent valve mechanism and said port and provided at its upper end with a grab member whereby said pull member may be pulled upwardly through said housing and flow line, said intermittent valve serving as a means to admit gas under pressure into said barrel, said housing having a passageway from said barrel and communicating with the flow line above the pull member.

4. In combination with a-flow line, a housing secured to'the flow line and having an internal bore of no greater diameter than the inside diameter of the flow line and in alignment therewith,an internal shoulder on the lower end of said housing, a pull member mounted in the bore of said housing above said shoulder, 'means'including said pull member to supply a pressure fluid to aerate oil in the flow line-said pull member being provided with an external collar normally seated on said shoulder, means whereby said pull member 5 may be pulled upwardly through said housing and iiow line, and means j tending to resist any upward movement of said collar away from said shoulder. said means l'nciuding a spring pressed plug normally ove'rriding a cam surface on said collar.

5. In combination with a how line, a housing having an internal bore of no greater diameter Havin now described inve ti 1 In g n ufim than the inside diameter of the flow line and in securedtosaidflow line. a barrel secured to said housing and having a greaterinner diameter than said housing said barrel serving as an oil reservoir. said housing havin a.by-pass communicating with the barrel and the flow line. a we pull member mounted in the housing and exalignmentl therewith. a barrel secured to said housing, said barrel having a greater diameter than the internal diameter of said housing and flow line. a pull member mounted in the housing including an intermittent valve which is in communication with a space in the chamber and a 6. In combination with a flow line within a said intermittent valve being located within said chamber and in communication therewith, said member being provided witha bore in communication with the inside of said housing and with said port, packing interposed between said housing and elongated member above and below said port, said housing having a bypass communicating with said chamber and with the inside of said. flow line, said elongated member being provided at its upper end with a grab member whereby a said elongated member, the packing within said housing and the intermittent valve may be pulled upwardly through said housing and flow line.

'I. A well flowing device'for a well having a well tubing in which a standing liquid level is present including, an axial conductor located within the tubing and extending downwardly in the well liquid, means for removably locking the conductor in the tubing, means for introducing a lifting gas into the upper end of the conductor from outside the tubing, and means for admitting the gas from the conductor into the tubing below the liquid level to displace and aerate the liquid and raise the same in the tubing.

8. A well flowing device for a well having a well tubing in which a'standingliquid level is present including, an axial conductor located within the tubing and extending'downwardly in the well liquid, means for removably locking the conductor in the tubing, means for introducing a lifting gas into the'upperend of the conductor from outside the tubing. means for admitting the gas from the conductor into the tubing below the liquid level to displace and aerate the liquid and raise the same in the tubing, and a. b'y-pass around thegas inlet leading to the conductor for flowing well liquid 1 by-passing the upwardly around the inlet.

9-. A well flowing. device for a well having a well tubingin which a standing liquid level is.

present including, an axial conductor located within the tubing and extending downwardly in the well liquid, means for introducing a lifting gas into the upper end of the conductor from outside the tubing, a flow valve on the lower end of the conductor for controlling the admittance of the lifting gas into the liquid column for displacing and aerating said liquid column and liftreadily removed.

10. A well flowing device for a well having a well tubing in which a standing liquid level is present including, a support adapted to be lowered within and removed from the well tubing,-

means for locking the support in its set position, a flow'valve carried by the lower'end of the support and adapted to be submerged in the well liquid, means for conductinga lifting gas to the flow valve through the support, whereby the movably locking the conductor within the tubing, whereby the flow valve carried thereby may be valve controls the admittance of the gas to the well liquid to displace and aerate the liquid column and lift the same upwardly in the well tub-.

ing, and a by-pass around the support and gas inlet for conducting the well liquid therearound inan unrestricted flow through the tubing as it is raised to thesurface. V

11. A well flowing device for a well having a well tubing in which a' standing liquid level is present including, -a support adapted to be set within and removed from the well tubing, means for locking the support in its set position, a flow valve carried by the lower end of the support and adapted to be submerged in the well liquid, a conductor removably connected to the valve and to the support for coupling these parts together,

said conductor spacing'the valve from the support soas to locate the valve in a desired position within the well liquid, means for conducting a lifting gas to. the flow valve through the support, whereby the valve controls the admittance of gas to the well liquid to displace and aerate 12. A well flowing device fora well having a well tubing in which a standing liquid level is present including,- a supporting element adapted to be run into and removed from the tubing through the bore of'said tubing, means for removably locking theelement against movement in the bore, a flow valve carried-bythe lower end of the element and adapted to be submerged in the well liquid, and means for conducting a lifting gas to the flow valve, whereby said valve controls the admittance of the gas-to the well liquid to displace and aerate the liquid column and lift the same upwardly in the well tubing.

13. A well flowing device for a well having 'a well tubing in which a standing liquid level is present including, a supporting assembly adapted to be set within and removed from the well tubing, locking means on the assembly for removably latching the assembly in the tubing, a flow valve carried by the lower end of the'assembly and adapted to be submerged in;-the. well liquid, and means for conducting a lifting gas to the flow valve, whereby said valve. controls the admission of the gas to the well liquid to displace and aerate the liquid column and lift-the same upwardly to the well surface. ing said liquidin the tubing, and means for re- SAMUEL ALLEN GUIBERSON, III. 

